Twitter CEO on How the Company Will Make Money: Ummm

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Twitter CEO on How the Company Will Make Money: Ummm

We suspect that Evan Williams has been asked once or twice about how Twitter plans to make money. But when the newly-appointed CEO was asked about the company's business model, while speaking at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, he paused uncertainly – either he didn't know what to say or he was playing coy.

"Ummm . . . I don't think it's as big of a dilemma as people seem to think," Williams said. "We haven't focused on it yet and I can't say for sure how it's going to work. "

Williams went on to tout Twitter's strong commercial value.

"If there's a commercial value, we can really deliver on that proposition. Our revenue model is not necessarily advertising, per se . . . I think advertising is a more dificult proposition."

By contrast, Joel Hyatt, CEO of Current TV, had an answer to the same question immediately handy.

"We're actually doing very well in terms of financial metrics," said Hyatt. "We're sitting on top of the foundation of a very old-fashioned and very attractive business model, and that's the cable and satellite television business. We're working with a business model seeking innovation instead of an innovation seeking a business model."

That said, we'd be curious to see when or if Current TV actually goes through with its planned IPO. The company generated $17 million in revenue for the quarter ended March 31, but since then, the ad market has deteriorated markedly.*Photo: *Flickr/Joi